To The Australian The sustained campaign to persuade the government to resile from its sensible rejection of the recommendations of the Uluru Statement from the Heart ("Turnbull out of touch with post-Mabo reality, says Chaney", 5/6) is intensifying. After Noel Pearson's proposed "declaration" with its grossly biased account of Australian history and political realities, we now have a personal attack on the prime minister which raises the question: "Just what really is 'post-Mabo reality'?" One answer can be seen in Kevin Donnelly's defence of free speech in our universities and its importance in calling out the campaign "to ensure generations of Australians feel guilty about an event beyond their control and to ensure continued funding for an indigenous industry dependent on taxpayers" ("Gender activists have a curious love of big brother", 5/6). Some universities are making it harder to defend "established social norms" in public discussion of "indigenous land rights". Fred Chaney clearly believes that "post-Mabo reality" is a step in the right direction. Perhaps the reverse is true and a new wound has been opened in the body politic.
Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic